Large amounts of data are stored on backups in various forms and on a variety of media. Frequently, backups are stored in a location separate from a primary residence or business data center. This may prevent the loss of some data in the event of a fire, flood, or another destructive event. Backup media may be maintained by third parties who may maintain a catalog of such data in order to manage the data. Backup data may contain sensitive information such as personal information, trade secrets, account information, national security information, and other confidential data.
Backup data on a medium may be composed of different portions. For example, on tape backups, a tape may be divided into data images, a tape label, and metadata. The tape label may be a numeric identifier. The data images may contain the vast majority of the data. The metadata may identify an owner of the tape, a file name, and/or other details about the content of the data image.
The metadata may be utilized by a backup management system or administrator to manage backup data. For example, the metadata may enable the creation of a catalog or other system which may enable an administrator or other user to locate the backup media in response to a request for information. The metadata may contain increasing amounts of detail in order to provide meaningful search or management capabilities to a backup management program. Metadata may pertain to data that is sensitive, thus disclosure of the metadata may not be desirable. Metadata may also enable an unauthorized user to piece together a broad high level picture of an organization or individual that an owner of the metadata does not wish to disclose. As volume of individual backups grows with increased storage capacity of storage media, and as the number of backups grow with increasing amounts of data produced by businesses, requirements for managing backups utilizing metadata may increase.
Data images may be encrypted to prevent disclosure or theft of sensitive data. However, metadata is not currently encrypted. Encryption of metadata may prevent an individual or process from effectively managing data. For example, encryption of metadata may disable an offsite backup storage center's ability to search among backup media in order to locate a particular backup medium.
In view of the foregoing, it may be understood that there are significant problems and shortcomings associated with current backup security technologies.